Ring binder construction



Filed OCb. 4, .1945

INVENTOR J/f/v Sch/Anf @u L 2M ATTORNEYS Patented June 21, 1949 2,473,663 RING BINDER CONSTRUCTION John Schade, Holyoke, Mass., assignor to National Blank Book Company, Holyoke, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 4, 1945, Serial No. 620,314

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improvement in ring binders, and more particularly to an improvement in the ring opening mechanism.

In one usuall form of ring mechanism for-such binders the ring halves are carried by toggle plates the inner-edges of which engage each other, the outer edges engaging the downwardly bent sides of a spring plate. The spring plate provides the spring action for the toggle which holds the free ends of the ring members in engagement when the knee of the toggle is below its center, and holds the ring ends spread when the knee is forced upwardly past its center into contact with the under side of the plate. This is an extremely simple mechanism. The toggle can be, and sometimes is, operated merely by grasping opposite ring halves and pulling them apart to open the rings, and pinching them together to'close the rings. The ring mechanism is se- 'cured to the back panel of a binder cover by rivets extending through openings adjacent the end of the spring plate and through the back panel of the binder case. In riveting the mechanism to the back panel a cylindrical metal spacer is positioned around the rivet, between the rivet opening of the spring plate and the rivet opening in the back panel, to take the thrust imposed in upsetting the rivet and to assure a tight attachment of the ring mechanism to the panel. But

for the spacer, the back panel and spring plate would not be as accurately mounted and the spring plate might be unduly distorted by the rivet attachment.

In operating the toggle it is very easy to pinch the ring members from open to closed position. It is more difficult to open the rings and means have heretofore been provided for doing this work. Such means are known in the trade as boosters. One of the simpler means for this purpose is a rocking lever loosely threaded on the spacing collar surrounding the rivet at one end of the ring mechanism. One end of the lever is arranged to engage the knee of the toggle plates and the other end is extended outwardly through an opening in the spring plate. To the rear of the rivet the lever engages the back panel as a fulcrum.

While operative for the purpose, this general arrangement has caused difficulties in some circumstances. The completing of the binder involves bringing together the main ring assembly, the rivet spacer, the booster lever, the rivet and the binder casing. Each of these elements have ,to be handleclseparately in assembling a complete binder land all of these elements are usually stocked. When the assembly is completed it may be found that because of a defect in one of the elements the completed binder is not usable requiring disassembly and destruction of the binder cover in doing so. These diiculties increase the cost of manufacture. There are also structural objections to the old construction.

It is the principal object of my invention to overcome these diiculties and reduce the cost of manufacture, at the same time furnishing a better product at the reduced cost.

In the accompanying drawings which show an illustrative embodiment of theinvention as applied to the above described type of binder.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the ring mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the under side of the ring mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan View showing the mechanism secured to the back panel of the binder;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, but on a largerscale;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan View similaruto Fig. 1 but on a larger scale and with parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View substantially on line 6--6 of Fig. 5; and

Figs. '7 and 8 show a modied frame structure.

` Referring to the drawings, the spring plate is shown at l and has downwardly and inwardly bent sides 2 forming seats 3 for the outer edge of the toggle plates i which are interengaged in any suitable manner at their inner edges, as indicated at 5 in Fig. 2, to form the knee of a toggle. The ring halves 8 are riveted or otherwise secured to the toggle plates as shown at 1. A rivet hole 8 is spaced from the end of the spring plate and an opening 9 is formed adjacent the end of the spring plate for the passage of the end of the booster lever as later described.

The booster lever, generally indicated at I0, may be formed in any suitable shape consistent with its function, but preferably as illustrated it comprises a slightly curved base portion Il having a narrowed end I2 adapted to engage the knee of the toggle plates, upwardly bent reenforcing sides i3 and a handle or thumb piece I4 for actuatingthe lever. The base portion ll is provided with an opening I5 adapted to be threaded over a generally cylindrical bushing or spacer element it, which, as shown, need not be a complete cylinder, extending upwardly from an edge of a. supporting and clamping member or frame Il The frame l1 includes a base portion IB and upstanding side portions or ears I9 piece.

adapted to be clamped around the sides of the spring plate, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, to hold the spacer I6 and the booster lever I0 in operative position. The frame I1 with its integral spacer I 6 and the booster lever I0 mounted thereon form a unitary booster construction. When the frame is clamped to the spring plate, the spacer I6 is positioned in alignment with the rivet opening 8 in the spring plate, the end of the spacer engaging the underside of plate I. A complete, rigid structure is thus provided. When the ring mechanism is riveted to the back panel of the binder cover by a rivet 2li, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the upsetting thrust is spread over the broad base I8 of frame member I1. The booster lever I 0 is fulcrumed on the base I8 of the frame and not on the back panel of the binder. 'I'his renders unnecessary the expense and work of reenforcing the back panel with metal and permits the use of less expensive binder covers.

The booster lever is held in operative position with relation to the other parts of the mechanism by the xed spacer I6 independently of the rivet itself. In other Words the riveting of the ring mechanism with its booster device is a simple riveting operation. The entire ring mechanism is in one piece-the binder is in one The Work is simply riveting two things together Where previously a multiplicity of parts had to be assembled to be held by the riveting. With my invention the ring mechanism with its booster, and spacer are made up as a factory operation, it can be fully inspected and applied to the binder cover by a simple riveting operation with complete assurance that it will be operable and that the back panel of the binder will not be damaged in the riveting Work. My invention makes possible a low cost ring mechanism with the advantage of booster operation which can be sold and stocked as such so that dealers can make up complete binders as desired with no other equipment than a riveting means and no more skill than the ability to upset a rivet. These advantages of a unitary mechanism are of course also secured by my invention when the ring mechanism is of a more expensive character and applied to expensive types of binder covers. In other words, While it makes possible a substantial reduction in manufacturing costs, its advantages are not confined to the low cost eld.

It will be understood that the frame I1 may be secured to the ring mechanism by other means than ears I9. For example, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the frame I1 may be formed as an integral end extension of the spring plate I. As shown in Fig. 7 the frame I1 including the base portion I8 thereof and the spacer forming portion I6 are formed unitary with the blank from which the spring plate I is formed. The frame I1 With the formed spacer is bent as indicated at 22 in Fig. 8 to position and hold the spacer, with the booster lever I0 mounted thereon, in substantial alignment with the rivet opening 8, for operation as previously described.

What I claim is:

In a ring binder mechanism having toggle plates in hinged relation at their inner edges and by which plates the rings are carried and a spring plate including top and side portions providing yielding seats for the outer edges of the toggle plates, the spring plate having rivet openings near its ends for securing the mechanism to the back panel of a binder cover; a sheet metal stamping shaped as a frame having a base portionextending beneath the spring plate near one end thereof and having side portions embracing the sides of the spring plate in a rigid load bearing grip, said frame also having a cylinder form oi spacer portion at its inner end in alignment with the adjacent rivet opening, and a booster lever having an opening through which the spacer portion passes, said lever having a fulcrum engagement on the base portion of the frame, the inner end of the lever engaging the underside of the toggle plates at their hinged portions for toggie operation by said lever, al1 constructed and arranged for such structure by reason of said sheet metal frame construction in the combination stated to be operable for effective test before it is riveted to a binder back panel for its normal USG.

JOHN SCHADE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Koelling May 13, 1941 Number 

